Kerry Gilpin joined the Massachusetts State Police in 1994, rising up through the ranks before being appointed as Colonel/Superintendent in 2017. During her 25-year career, Gilpin spent approximately 12 years responding to and investigating thousands of crime scenes throughout the Commonwealth, including the Boston Marathon bombing.

Gilpin later spent several years assigned to the Division of Standards and Training, where she conducted staff inspections, commanded the Harassment Investigation Unit for the Department and was appointed as the Deputy Division Commander of Standards and Training, overseeing the Massachusetts State Police Academy.

As Colonel, Gilpin commanded more than 2,200 sworn officers and led the largest law enforcement agency in New England. Gilpin holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Western New England University and is a graduate of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University. Gilpin was named 2018 Meta-Leader of the Year by the Leadership Institute of Harvard University. She is also the 2019 recipient of the New England State Police Administrators Compact, Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award as well as the 2018 Massachusetts Association of Women in Law Enforcement, Leader of the Year. In November of 2019, Gilpin retired from the Massachusetts State Police after 25 years of service.